AI-generated illustration
Picardy
In 1678, on the road to Flanders, Louis XIV tasted this small, orange-rinded Picard cheese and enjoyed it so much that he created the post of 'Fromager royal' for its maker, along with a pension of 600 livres.
Washed-rind cheese from Picardy.
AI-generated illustration
The earliest written records of Rollot cheese date back to 1576: the Archives départementales de la Somme preserve a lease dated 10 March of that year, in which the rent was paid partly in 'a dozen sound cheeses'. Local tradition attributes its creation to monks from the abbaye de Maroilles who, having settled in the village of Rollot in the south-east of the Somme, adapted the recipe of their original cheese to give rise to a smaller, circular cousin.
In 1678, the destiny of Rollot took a decisive turn: travelling towards Flanders, Louis XIV heard of this Picard cheese and asked to taste it. Won over, the Sun King had it served at Court and, in honour of its maker, Rhené Jean de Bourges, collector for the seigneurie d'Orvillers, created the office of 'Fromager royal', accompanied by an annual pension of 600 livres transferable to his descendants. The reputation of the Picard cheese then spread beyond the borders of the region to reach tables across the kingdom.
At the dawn of the 20th century, Rollot was at its height: production reached around 300,000 cheeses a year, mainly in the cantons of Roye and Montdidier, and at the end of the 19th century it reportedly even outsold camembert. The cheese won several awards at Parisian competitions: a silver medal in 1866, another in 1880, and a further distinction in 1907, when it ranked behind camembert but ahead of livarot.
The First World War dealt a fatal blow to this boom: 95% of the village of Rollot was destroyed and production collapsed. During the post-war years, in 1920, a cheesemaker named Marie Louvin gave Rollot its now characteristic heart shape. A dairy and cheese dairy was established in the village in 1928, but production declined nonetheless, all but disappearing in the 1970s. It was not until the 2000s that a handful of dairy farmers from the Somme, Aisne and Oise took up the challenge of crafting Rollot as in days of old, allowing it to gradually revive. By 2019, it was no longer made in the commune of Rollot itself, but by three farmers and three industrial facilities in the surrounding area. This revival was rewarded at the Concours international de Lyon 2026, where Rollot claimed two gold medals, awarded to the Fromagerie de la Chapelle-Saint-Jean (Grémévillers) and the Fromagerie Lesire & Roger (Mondrepuis).
Appearance
Small round cheese measuring 8 to 9 cm in diameter and 3 to 4 cm thick (around 300 g), or heart-shaped; a thin, smooth, ridged rind that is slightly tacky, ochre-yellow in colour turning orange then reddish over the course of ageing.
Aroma
Fairly pronounced, with fresh, tangy aromas and a strong scent of terroir.
Taste
Supple and melting in the mouth, lightly salted and tangy, with fruity and spicy aromas emerging after extended ageing; can become very robust after more than six weeks in the cellar.
Texture
Supple, melting, ivory-coloured paste.
the oldest traditional shape, formerly cylindrical (6 to 7 cm in diameter, 450 to 500 g).
known as 'Cœur de Rollot' or 'Cœur de Thiérache', introduced in 1920 by cheesemaker Marie Louvin, perhaps due to geographical proximity to Neufchâtel.
a rarer variant, historically made in Arvillers to stand out from the competition.
raw, whole cow's milk is renneted just after milking.
the curd is moulded in round or heart-shaped caserets.
the cheese is drained and then salted, before being placed in the hâloir.
three to six weeks, during which the fruity and spicy aromas develop.
AI-generated illustration
Rollot can be enjoyed all year round, but its ideal season runs from May to October — so-called 'regain' cheeses, matured in late summer and early autumn when the cows graze on fresh grass that has grown back after the haymaking, are particularly sought after. It is eaten as a table cheese, brings colour to a cheeseboard, and features in regional recipes such as 'goyère de Rollot'; it pairs well with structured, fruity red wines.
Rollot currently holds no official appellation: its identity sheet explicitly designates it as an 'unprotected' appellation. Unlike its cousin Maroilles, with which it shares monastic origins, no AOC/PDO (AOP) specifications govern its production.
Major artisan cheese house
Artisan
Farm
Get listed and reach more lovers of regional produce.
Request a listing